Help Ban the Bomb!

CALL ON YOUR GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THE HISTORIC NEGOTIATIONS TO BAN THE BOMB!

The breakthrough global initiative to negotiate a treaty to ban nuclear weapons just as the world has done for chemical and biological weapons will resume negotiations at the UN in New York on June 15. By July 7, the final day of the negotiations, we expect governments to adopt a historic treaty.

If not, there is still time to encourage your government to join. Send a message to your Foreign Minister encouraging them to join. Ask your parliamentarians to raise this in parliament. Contact the media.

Support a strong treaty

A draft of the treaty, the Convention to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, was released on May 22 by Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gómez, President of the negotiating conference. The draft treaty is a good basis for negotiations to continue and includes prohibitions on the use, possession, development, manufacture, deployment, stockpiling and testing of nuclear weapons. It also includes a prohibition on assisting, encouraging or inducing anyone to engage in such activities. It includes the provision of assistance to those affected by nuclear detonations, and recognizes ‘the disproportionate impact of ionizing radiation on maternal health and on girls.’ And it recognizes the role of civil society, including the Hibakusha, survivors of the catastrophic atomic bombing in Japan, in building public conscience for a nuclear-weapon-free world.

However, as negotiations continue, governments and organizations will make suggestions for strengthening the language to achieve the best treaty possible. A range of suggestions have been put forward and many organizations will hold side events during the talks. The negotiations are also scheduled to be webcast, so you can follow from home if you’re not in New York (also with translation into the UN languages). For the latest information, check this real-time blog of the negotiations (and the lead up to them). You can also follow the negotiations on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #nuclearban.